Film on Maine’s dark skies coming to Greenville

GREENVILLE — “Defending the Dark” with filmmaker Tara Roberts Zabriskie and Dark Sky Maine President Nancy Hathaway will tour the state showing the film on Maine’s dark skies. A screening will be at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Moosehead Cultural Heritage Center, Crafts Community Hall, 6 Lakeview Street. The film will be introduced by Hathaway with Roberts Zabriskie offering Q&A following the film.

Maine has the largest area of dark skies east of the Mississippi River due to our low light-pollution (light fixtures with no shields allowing light to unnecessary disburse to the sky above blocking our sight of far away stars). Looking on a light-pollution map of the United States, Maine has a black hole surrounding Mount Katahdin meaning we can see stars few others on the east coast can see.

Maine has the only designated Dark Sky Sanctuary on the eastern seaboard, meaning the International Dark Sky Association designated 86,000 acres east of Baxter State Park as a Dark Sky Sanctuary due to low light-pollution. This is Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. In the Greenville area, the Appalachian Mountain Club has a designated Dark Sky Park. We can see the Milky Way which few others can see. 

Join us in viewing this informative, educational film not just about saving the stars but how light pollution affects human and animal health. The American Medical Association has done research on bright lights and breast cancer. Other studies are available for us to research. Come help preserve Maine’s Starry Night Sky!

For more information on the Oct. 15 screening, please contact the Moosehead Historical at Society 207-695-2909.

“Defending the Dark” educates viewers on why it is important to preserve dark sky areas while emphasizing the unique dark sky environment of northern Maine.

Dark sky conservation benefits wildlife and their habitats, reduces health and safety risks to humans, saves energy, and reduces costs. Light pollution has devastating effects on migrating birds, native plants, and pollinators. “Defending the Dark” tells the story of protecting the dark sky areas of Maine and what we can do in our own backyards to bring back the night sky. It’s more than just saving the stars; dark skies need protecting for our health, safety, nature, and science.

The film was made by documentary filmmaker Roberts Zabriskie in partnership with Dark Sky Maine, Mountains of Stars, and Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands who are all dedicated to educating the public about light pollution by connecting them with the night sky. It was funded in part by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund which helps fund critical wildlife and conservation projects throughout Maine and gets its revenue through the Maine State Lottery scratch off ticket (the one with the beehive).

“Defending the Dark” premiered on July 14 at the Maine International Film Festival. The audience of about 100 people were moved and inspired, many of them left the theater ready to take action in their own communities. For more information visit www.darkskyfilm.com.